Organize a Clean-up in your Neighborhood
- Register your clean-up online and signup for free supplies (bags, gloves, safety vests, etc.).
- Check out resources for clean-up organizers from Hands on Nashville
- Place all the trash bags from your cleanup in one spot for Metro Beautification staff to pickup
- Share before and after picture of your cleanup on social media and tag the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure (NDOT) (@NashvilleDOT or facebook.com/NashvilleDOT)
Student Community Service Program
Students wishing to give back to the community while earning community service credit hours can volunteer with the Nashville Department of Transportation and Metro Beautification and Environment Commission.
The student community service program is offered every year beginning on April 1 through October 31. Students must register online prior to reporting to volunteer. Work assignments will be assigned at the time of arrival and may include roadside litter cleanup and removal of illegal dumping from the Metro right-of-way.
Other Ways to Help Keep Nashville Beautiful
Adopt-A-Street and help Keep Nashville Beautiful year-round!
You can also help reduce pollution in Nashville's streets and streams and help prevent flooding by adopting a stream through Metro Water Services Adopt-A-Stream Program.
Use one of Metro’s 4 convenience centers to dispose of trash or bulky items.
Contact the Davidson County Sheriff's Office to schedule a curbside (front) bulk item pick-up.
Litter Statistics
A recent study conducted by the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) showed the following:
- $23,200,000. Yes, you read those zeros right. That's $23.2 million tax payer dollars our state spends on litter pick up and prevention education. That doesn't even count what your city pays to pick up litter in the incorporated areas.
- 46.1% of litter is intentional litter, meaning it is thrown right out of vehicle windows.
- 53.9% is negligent litter, which includes vehicle debris and trash flying out of uncovered truck beds.
- Juice and soft drink containers, cigarette packs/lighters/matches, takeout food packaging, plastic bags and snack food packaging are the biggest problem with deliberate litter.
The Tennessee Litter Law is designed to help reduce some of that trash. Smaller amounts of litter will be punished by a $50 fine, while larger fines are reserved for larger amounts. Offenders can mail in the payment to the county clerk or plead not guilty and face the officer in court. If the judge finds the offender guilty, the person must pay the $50 and court costs. It is hoped that this new law will encourage more enforcement, since the fines are more appropriate for the offenses, and in most cases the officer and the offender will not have to go to court.
- Report littering.
- Learn more about the Nobody Trashes Tennessee campaign.
Litter is Harmful
First and foremost - don't litter. Additionally, all of us can take responsibility to educate others about the harmful effects of littering. Here are just a few harmful consequences of commonly littered items in our communities:
- Tires: sitting water in littered tires attract mosquitoes
- Mattresses: littered mattresses block the sight-distance for drivers
- Plastic bottles and bags: these materials take many years to decompose. They can also block storm drains, which can lead to flooding.
- Paper bags: block storm drains and cause flooding
- Plastic food wrappers: attract wildlife
- Cigarettes: take many years to decompose because they are made with plastic
Cigarette Butts are Litter
Those discarded cigarette butts don't evaporate and they aren't biodegradable. They are litter. Please, if you're a smoker, do your part and "Hang on to your Butts!"